Knotty Nancys

It is hard to describe the feeling I have when I am working on a project and I just want to get back to it. Work becomes irrelevant, other plans become intrusive. I just want to work on the project and finish it so I have something to show for my labors. The rewards of this work are many. There is the personal feeling of accomplishment, the social satisfaction of others remarks and appreciation, and there can be financial reward. I strive for the trifecta! Cable Anniversary Sweater Earlier this year was spent focused on completing a sweater that was a belated Christmas present for my brother-in-law. If I do say so myself, five months wasn't long for this bear of a cable pattern. In addition, it came out beautiful. I was very pleased and so was the recipient. Finishing this project let me dive into so many things I've been wanting to do but also had been asked to do for other people. One project included a top for me, slippers for a friend to give as Christmas presents...

Me in the Cable Brim Hat in gray Knitting is more an individual past time then it is a social past time. I am fortunate to have met a great group of women with whom I enjoy meeting once a week to socialize and gab over our newest adventures in knitting, yarn and notions.  This week there was pre-class email banter over a sale that enabled a few of us to purchase Amish swifts for just $20. I can't wait to receive mine and more importantly, to use it. As I was saying, knitting is a very individual hobby. More often then not (or knot), we are curled up in our favorite chair or sofa with music or television playing in the background as we get wrapped up in our patterns and yarns. There is no doubt it is meditative, taking you off into your thoughts and allowing you to relax into the peace and rhythm of knit and purl stitches. Because regardless of what we think when we're stuck on a difficult part of a pattern, there is a rhythm and a sense to each design, mathematical equati...

Babes In Toyland poster I am far removed from the toy world these days. The only real touchstone I have are my 8-year-old twin niece and nephew. In this technological world, many of their toys are ageless. The Wii can entertain a room of giddy (and often inebriated) adults, iTouches are for the masses, and computers are for everyone too.  Fortunately, their innocence is not completely lost on microchips and extension cords. My nephew in particular has a very strong connection with plush stuffed animals.  I was somewhat fearful that the knit monster I made last Summer would not go over well since it wasn't super duper soft, but it was embraced with love and has remained in the "top 10 most loved stuffed animals". He might be just saying this but fortunately, the fact that the wool of his knit monster is pilling demonstrates a lot of hugs, wear and tear. They are still intact though. On a recent trip down, my nephew noted a teddy bear sweater in a yarn shop and immedia...

If you go out in the woods today You're sure of a big surprise. If you go out in the woods today You'd better go in disguise... I'm not sure what kind of disguise a Teddy Bear would have to wear to not look like a teddy bear. Honestly, I think the best part of being a teddy bear is the cute and fuzzy look. I am certain my dear nephew would agree with me. So much so that his obsession with stuffed animals has tipped over into an exorbitant number of bears, penguins, monkeys and other assorted animals being in his bed in the evening.  I really hope he doesn't lose this innocent love of all things soft and cuddly anytime soon though. It's one of his most endearing characteristics, and one of his only remaining innocent ones.  Aside from being a schmoopy sucker for stuffed animals and hugs, he is a hardcore extreme athlete who is ALL BOY. I was at my sister's house visiting last weekend, with my knitting of course, and my niece was all engrossed in learning how t...

Photo credit - The Loopy Ewe The weather around here is far from frightful. We've have a very easy season so far, little snow, little ice and mostly moderate temperatures. This would of course be the best time of year to begin making items for severely cold weather, right? Well, leave it to me to start knitting things like scarves and socks and well, cowls! I walked into my (new - to me) local knitting store and a simple perusal of the skeins led me to fall in love with he Malabrigo Rasta. As the name would indicate, the ply is woven together to resemble dreadlocks. The skeins I loved were dyed in a green-blue called teal feather and a bright green called lettuce.  It's not an inexpensive yarn, which isn't a surprise considering my taste, so at $23 a skein, I indulged in just one. One can make a hat, a scarf, and come to find out a cowl!  I hardly had to turn 180 degrees in the store only to find this lovely cowl knit in a fluffy white yarn that struck me as something...

I've clearly been hungry for new projects as I finished up the winter projects that I had on my "to do" list since before Christmas.  I am eager to learn new things and fortunately, my knitting group has adopted a new instructor so we have guidance on concepts that we're unfamiliar with or areas where we might need help. I don't think it matters how good a knitter you are, another set of hands or eyes is always a good thing! A few weeks ago I went into SPINNING YARNS, my local yarn store, and fell in love with the Malabrigo Rasta in Teal. I loved it in the green (lettuce) too, but I went with teal, and also found the perfect pattern, a Cloud Cowl.  I am thinking this is something for me, if I can get over wearing something wintry, warm-ish and which sits around my neck. It is going to be a feat since I am someone who is resistant to wearing scarves at all, and even coats. The beauty of this yarn might just make the difference though. Our new instructor was for...

In as much as hobbies and crafts are meant to help people decompress and reduce stress in their lives, we are capable of turning even these most enjoyable past times into trying times. I have mentioned before that the rush towards Christmas was a struggle; I committed myself to completing a number of tasks for friends/customers that I felt was do-able. That is, until the time drew closer and I knew that the last pairs of socks I had to finish just would not get done for the holidays. Fortunately, the recipient was very understanding and I delivered them a week later to much praise and gratitude. It was well worth the effort I put in for those socks and all of the projects, simply to see the reactions on the faces of those folks who received them. I should slide in a mention here that if you have received a KnottyNancy item, please send pictures of them being worn! I have not had the opportunity for every piece to be modeled and want to build that portfolio for others to see my work...